A man founding hiding in his former girlfriend's home a day after he allegedly attacked her while she was sleeping was ordered held in jail Thursday.
Ahseem Williams, 25, entered the woman's Hamilton Township home Sunday, assaulted her while she was sleeping, threatened to kill her, strangled her, hit her with a lava lamp and fled, according to the charges.
He returned the next day, and the victim called police.
Responding officers had to search the residence twice before finding Williams hiding behind a bed in another room, according to the complaint.
The woman had a temporary restraining order, but Williams had not been served at that time, so he did not know he could not be there, his attorney argued during his detention hearing.
Williams and the victim share a child, and he thought "he was welcome there," attorney Samantha Geisinger told the judge, adding that he kept belongings at the home.
"The fact that he was hiding obviously indicates that he knew he wasn’t supposed to be there," Judge Donna Taylor said in detaining him.
"The facts are disturbing to the court," she said.
Williams already had four pending case at the time of his arrest, including a burglary case from February and theft and forgery charges from August.
He also has a significant juvenile history that includes more than 30 adjudications, Assistant Prosecutor Paige Cramer told the judge.
Geisinger said her client "is trying to get his life back in check, trying to do his best to make up for what he has done in his past as a juvenile."
He is attending the Prism Career Institute in Egg Harbor Township, where he is studying to become a medical assistant, she said. He also is working as a cook at Margaritaville.
The judge pointed out that the pending charges are all relatively recent, including two cases from last month.
Williams will now stay in the Atlantic County Justice Facility pending the resolution of his cases.
